long life of the fathers the oracles of God were committed to them without any mention of writing because they were both wise and faithful in the custody and transmission of them For Adam himself living nine hundred and thirty years to teach his children had under his teaching Seth Enosh Kenan Mahalaleel Iarod Henoch Methusalah and Lamech the father of Noah And Noah lived with Abraham 57 years But after the flood when the Church in the posterity of Iacob encreased and no doubt had many corruptions by dwelling in Aegypt then was Moses appointed both to be the deliverer of the People of Israel from Aegypt and to be the Penman of God to write those things which God would have to remain in the Church for all succeeding times and after him successively holy men wrote as they were inspired And a better Argument we cannot give for the danger of unwritten traditions which the Church of Rome doth so much commend even above Scripture then this God saw that men had corrupted their ways and he found the imaginations of mens hearts only evil continually and that the Church was a very few therefore he stirred up Noah to be a Preacher of righteousnesse in whom the light of truth was preserved he destroyed the old sinful world and by Noah and Sem he began a new Church to the restored world Yet after Noahs death the worship of strange gods were brought in so that to heal this grief and to prevent the danger of traditions God caused the Word to be written by holy men for the perpetual use of his Church whose books were faithfully preserved in all ages thereof Then came the Sonne of God and he left his spirit in the Church to lead the Church into all truth by which spirit the New Testament was endited and written So that now all things necessary to salvation are so clearly revealed that traditions of men have no necessary use in the Church in the substance of true Religion for that which is written is sufficient The Church of Rome denieth the sufficiency of Scripture Many of their great learned men write both basely and blasphemously thereof But they are not agreed upon the point for Scotus Gerson Oecam Cameracensis Waldensis Vincentius Lerinensis do all confesse what we teach of the sufficiency of Scripture as the learned Deane of Glocester Dr. Field l. 3. de Eccoles c. 7. hath fairly cited them And Dr. White in his way of the Church addeth Tho. Aquinas Antoninus Arch-bishop of Florence Durandus Alliaco a Cardinal Conradus Clingius Peresius Divinity Reader at Barcilena in Spain and Cardinal Bellarmine Of whom Possevinus writeth that he is one of the two that have won the Garland De verbo Dei l. 1. c. 2. Sacra Scriptura regulae credendi certissima tutissima est Per corporales literas quas cerneremus legeremus erudire not voluit Deus Writing against Swenck field and the Libertines this is a legal witnesse Pro Orthodoxo heretici testimonium valeat I know to whom I speak and therefore I forbear the Polemical bands of arguments to and fro upon this question which in print and in English is so fully and learnedly debated Our lesson is seeing Gods care of his Church for the instruction thereof is here exprest in commanding his revealed will to be written that God would have his Church to be taught his ways in all the ages thereof Doct. 1. Because the ways of God Reas 1 and the saving health of God cannot be parted none can have the saving health of God without the knowledge of his ways no ignorant man can be saved it is said of Christ By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Isa 53.11 per scientiam qua scitur Therefore Davids Prayer is That thy way may be known upon earth thy saving health among all nations 2. Because the promise of God doth run in semine Reas 2 in the seed I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Our children are the Lords inheritance his care extendeth so farre That yee may live Deut. 5.33 and that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days But that is not all That it may be well with them and their children for ever Vers 29. 3. For his own sake Reas 3 that his Wisdome Power and Iustice may be known to men that they may be able to plead the cause of God against such as either ignorantly through unbelief or maliciously and blasphemously shall dispute and argue against God for therefore God doth condescend to this Apology of himself that he may instruct his Church how to plead the cause of his Iustice against all strife of tongues that the name of God be not evil-spoken of To make profit of this point Vse 2 1. Herein let us consider what the Lord hath done for our souls for he hath given us two means to communicate to us his holy will hearing and reading and he hath used to this purpose both the voice and the pen of holy men for he spake by the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the world began and holy men wrote as his spirit directed them Let him that hath ears to heare heare quid Spiritus Ps 34.16 Mat. 24.15 and seek yee out the book of the Lord and read but then adde this caution Who so readeth let him understand It was Philips question sed intelligis quod legis Seeing God hath written to us Vse 2 and the whole body of holy Scripture may well be called Gods Epistle or Letter to his Church let us bestow the reading of Gods letter St. Augnstiue saith Quae de illa Civitate unde peregrinamur venerunt nobis literae ipsae sunt Scripturae It was St. Gregories complaint of Theodorus In Ps 90.2 that he was so over-busied with secular cares Regist 4.84 Et quotidie legere negligit verba redemptoris sui quid est autem Scriptura sacra nisi quaedam epistola Omnipotentis dei ad venturam suam It is a question in our times whether printing hath done more hurt or good for Satan finding this a means to keep things alive in the world hath employed the Presse in all sorts of heresies in all sorts of idle and lascivious false and dicterious slanderous and biasphemous books The remedy is to refrain such readings and as Dr. Reynold tels Hart his adversary that he hath no book allowed him to read but the Bible It is likely then that he is perfect in that book and that Physitians do well when they find their Patient surfeited with too much variety of meat to confine him to some one wholesome dyet So shall we do well to limit our selves to the reading of Gods letter and know his mind for he is wisest and the wisedome that we shall gather from thence is wisedome from above it is able to make us wise unto salvation as the Apostle saith 3. Seeing God teacheth us by
ruine of the Chaldeans for being puffed up and proud of their victories they shall not acknowledge the great God of heaven the God of their warre or esteem themselves his agents to chasten the Jews but shall give the glory of their conquest to their own Idol god Now in these words thus interpreted observe 1. The Totall 2. The Particulars 1. The Totall is the answer of God to the greivous complaint and expostulation of the Prophet 2. The Particulars are two 1. The Judgment threatned 2. The executioners of this Judgment very fully and Rhethorically described 1. The Totall God answereth the Prophets complaint Yeildeth this Doctrine that God doth hear the complaints of such as have just cause to complain of violence Doctr. to execute his judgments upon them that offend The story of holy Scripture is full of examples of this truth Cain for Abel vox sanguinis the voyce of bloud The whole old world was punished with a general inundation for the cruelty that was upon the earth their violence made the Lord repent that he made them You have heard out of Obadiah how the cruelty of Edom was intolerable and God heard the cry of the Church and delivered them and punished Edom with desolation And when Israel was in the land of Egypt in the house of bondage God sayeth I have seen Acts 7 34. I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt and I have heard their groaning and am come down to deliver them Even Israel his own people is not spared Sion his holy mountain Jerusalem his holy City is punished for oppression He doth this First Reas 1 In regard of his servants that do complain to him to let them see the power of their prayers that he may stirre them up in all greivances to commit their cause to him and not to seek private revenge Injuriam as Tertull. Si apud deum deposueris injuriam ipse ultor est si damnum restitutor est Therefore let not the oppressed wrong their own cause with vexing Vse and disquieting their own hearts at them that lie heavy upon them for St. James tels us that The wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God Jam. 1.20 Let them not vent their spleen in bitter cursings and execrations which be the voyce and language of impatience and impiety and turne upon us and all to tear us But let them seriously complain to God and he will hear them and do them right Let them tarry the Lords good leasure and they shall see that he will take the matter into his own hand 1. Either he will take the oppressed out of the world and give them rest from their labours and lay them in the beds of ease and lock them in the chambers of peace till all stormes be over and then he will say Returne ye sons of Adam 2. Or he will change the heart of the oppressours and for stony hearts give them hearts of flesh and fill them with compassion and tendernesse 3. Or he will restrain the power of the wicked against his chosen and suffer no man to do them wrong but will reprove even Kings for their sakes the rage of man will he restrain 4. Or he will give the oppressed such a measure of patience and charity as he shall bear injuries without murmuring and blesse them that hate and persecute him 5. Or he will pour forth his wrath upon the oppressor and let him feel the weight of his hand either upon his body by inflicting diseases upon it or upon his minde by the troubles of an unquiet conscience Or upon his familie by cursing the fruit of his loyns that they shall be his sorrowes by taking ill wayes Or upon his estate by cursing all his gatherings that though all the streams of profite runne every way into his bagges nothing shall make him rich like the Caspian sea into which many rivers do pour in water continually yet is it never the fuller rather like the lean kine never the fatter Or upon his life by taking him out of the world and thereby giving occasion to the afflicted to rejoyce Therefore art thou afflicted pray and complain and expostulate with God for he will hear thee 2. God heareth the complaint of the just against the oppressours for his names sake Reas 2 for so David urgeth him Hear me O God for thy names sake For it toucheth God in honour when his faithfull servants do appeal from the school of unrighteousnesse where they are oppressed to the tribunal of his judgment where they should be releived and cannot be heard You remember when Christ was on the crosse and his enemies had their cruel hearts desire against him they contented not themselves to be cruell and scornfull to him but they blasphemed also the name of God saying He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him Mat. 27 43 The very theives that were fastened then to the crosse on either hand of him cast that in his teeth When the wicked prevail against the just the next word is Where is now their God Let us then know the name of God is himself Vse he cannot deny himself he hath a name above all things and a speciall glory due to that name he cannot suffer that name to be blasphemed He will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine Therefore in all greivances let us say with David Our help is in the Name of the Lord who hath made Heaven and Earth It is our comfort in trouble that we do suffer together with the name of God and if we do lay fast hold on that we shall be delivered together with it we may well cast our trust upon that name for in hoc vinces in this thou shalt overcome is the Motto and word thereof it is a strong tower to all that trust in it 3. God will hear the complaints of the just Reas 3 for his truths sake for he hath promised the just I will not leave thee nor forsake thee And he hath said He shall call upon me and I will hear him I am with him in trouble I will deliver him and he shall glorifie me And David saith He will not suffer his truth to faile We have more then his promise we have his oath against the ungodly I have sworn in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest Ps 95.11 Vse Let us build then upon this promise for God is faithful that hath promised The violent and the oppressour hath part in the wrath of God as he saith And I will come near to you in judgement Mal. 3.5 and I will be a swift witnesse against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against them that oppresse the hireling in his wages and the fatherlesse and the widow and that turn aside the stranger from his right and that feare not me saith the Lord of hosts Here is Gods
he saith to me he must have the warrant of his own mission from a special illumination of his own understanding or else his Trumpet will never give a certain sound 4. This bindeth the hearer to affection For if the spirit speaketh to the Churches then qui habet aures audiendi audiat he that hath ears let him hear Est Deus in nobis God is in us they do not flatter us as they did Herod and we shall never die of the wormes for receiving that testimony of our Ministry if we deal faithfully that say of our preaching The voice of God and not of man for Saint Paul testifieth of the Thessalonians For this cause also thank we God 1 Thes 2.13 because when ye received the Word of God which yee heard of us yee received it not as the Word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also on you that believe Beloved it is true that we that are now the witnesses of God have not that open accesse to him that the Prophet had to receive immediate instructions from his own mouth But Christ saith Sicut misit me Pater it a ego mitto vos as the Eather sent me so send I you And he telleth his Father how he hath provided for his Church till his second coming I have given them the word which thou gavest me Iohn 17.8 and they have received them and having so done he said unto them Ite docete Go and teach When thou comest then to Church and hearest Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms which was the Manna wherwith God fed the fathers before the incarnation of Christ when the Veile of the Temple was up remember what Abraham said to the rich man Habent Mosen Prophetas audiant eos They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them that is the way to keep out of hell When thou hearest the voice of the Sonne of God in the Gospel the Veile of the Temple being torn from the top to the bottome Christ now reveiled to thee with open face Take heed thou despise not him that speaketh to thee in the Ministry of a mortal man this is a treasure which is brought unto you in earthen vessels value the vessels at their own worth in themselves but yet regard them above their worth for their use for they bring you the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Enough to make you wise unto salvation sufficient to beget faith in you by which you may overcome the world enough to make you perfect throughly perfect to all good works This is done by our Ministry if you will hear God in us and what would you desire more then to be taught how to become wise and honest for such are not afraid of the Parliament and say with Saint Paul With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you 1 Cor. 4.3 or of mans judgement 2. The vigilancy of the Prophet I will stand upon the watch Amongst the great titles of honour and service that are given to the Ministers of the Word in Scripture this is one they are called Watchmen It is Gods word to Ezechiel Ezek 3.17 Sonne of man I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me which is repeated in the same words chapt 33.7 as the Margent of the Kings Bible directeth you This correspondence must be between God and his Minister for if God do make us watchmen over the house of Israel then with Habakkuk we must stand upon the watch Let not us plead the trust of God committed to us except we can plead our faithfulnesse in the discharge of that trust This is indeed an honour done to the Prophets and Ministers of the Church to commit the Church of God to our care but the burthen of this care to keep watch is exceeding great A necessity is laid upon me and wo be to me if I preach not the Gospel Here be two things in this office 1. To watch 2. To give warning 1. Some can watch but they can give no warning Ministers of good and preaching lives but not apt to teach which Saint Paul requires in his Ministers Of whom Saint Hierome saith Innocens sine Sermone Conversatio quantum prodest exemplo tantum nocet silentio 2. Some will sometimes give warning but they cannot always watch Preach learnedly when they preach but they have not learnt out all their lesson of the Apostle Cave tibi doctrina in his Persta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Continue in these things it requires incumbency as the Law calleth it 3. But if we will do our duties we must do both some would fain do both and cannot get a watchmans place there is none void For be the People never so empty yet Ecclesia est plena the Church is full All is not well that way the Church complains and they that have laboured abundantly to enable themselves for this watch are too much searched and examined too narrowly for their gifts Others have a watch but they do not with the Prophet stand upon it either they sit at ease or they sleep it out soundly this Prophet promiseth to stand in readinesse for action and execution of his charge Beloved many will not beleeve it but we feel it if we make conscience of our duties in our calling that our vocation is laborious this watching in all weathers and this robbing of our temples of their timely rest to attend the watch over your souls as those that must give an account to God for our selvs and for you is an honourable burthen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who is sufficient 1. Vigilat hostis The enemy watcheth he compasseth the earth to and again he goeth about like a roaring Lyon he is ever either reaching out an Apple of temptation as to Eve or stretching our an arme of provocation as to the blessed Virgin gladius pertransibit animam tuam We must keep you waking that he bring not upon you the spirit of slumber we must awake you if you sleep in sin that he surpize you not Custos Israelis non dormit the keeper of Israel slumbreth not Alexander lies down to sleep without fear because he leaves Parmenio his faithful counsellor waking David will lay him down in peace and take his rest seeing God doth make him dwell in safety Dominus dat dilectis suis somnum Yet let us observe two things concerning our sleep for the Apostle saith Therefore let us not sleep as do others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 5.6 as unbeleevers Lyranus qui sunt increduli 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are left out of the Church and out of Gods fold to the world let us not sleep so how then 1. Before our sleep let us take Davids example for our Donec until I will not give sleep to mine eyes nor slumber to
read and they returned saying Never man spake like that man If they that run from the word may be taken thus with a glance upon it you may soone conceive what effect it may work in those that run to it that are swift to hear that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse If they that hear or read the word immediately aliud agentes may perceive the mind of the Lord by the plain opening thereof much more they that come of purpose and run to it that come with appetite and desire after it with delight in it with purpose to profit by it and with due Preparation of the heart by earnest Prayer for the holy blessing of God upon the Ministry and hearing of it therefore quid Scriptum est quomodo legis what is written how readest thou 2. The assurance that he gives of the performance of his purpose in due time The Vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lie Next verse It will surely come it will not tarry This is Rhetorically set down For 1. Here is veritas decreti the truth of the decree The Vision is yet for an appointed time 2. Here is veritas verbi the truth of the word it shall speak it shall not lye 3. Here is veritas facti the truth of the deed It will surely come it will not tarry 1. Decretum the Decree The Vision is here put for the thing seen as you have heard and that is the declaration of Gods just judgment in the cause of his Church against the Chaldaeans for he saith the time is appointed meaning in his own holy and fixt decree which is unchangeable 2. Verbum the Word God will speak his minde by this Vision and declare what he intendeth against the Chaldeans and therein he will deal truely and faithfully for he is truth he cannot lye For these be two Premises or Antecedents to one conclusion for we may conclude both wayes 1. The Decree of God is past Ergo veniet non tardabit he shall come he will not tarrie 2. The Word of God is past Ergo. From thence we are taught Doctr. That whatsoever God hath decreed or spoken shall certainly take effect in the appointed time The holy word of Scripture confirmeth this Indeed who should alter Gods decrees for he himself will not I may say truly he cannot change them for the Apostle saith he worketh all things after the councell of his will Eph. 1.11 And the Will of God is himself And he cannot deny him self 2 Tim. 2.13 Neither can he repent as Samuel told Saul The strength of Israel will not lye nor repent 1 Sam. 15.29 for he is not a man that he should repent And if God himself be without variablenesse and shadow of change his Will being established by his counsell and wisdom we may be sure that there is no power beneath him that can swerve him from his own ways for the wiseman saith There is no wisdom nor understanding Pro. 21.30 nor counsell against the LORD One reason may serve of this Doctrine God is equall infinite in his wisdom justice and mercie to conceive him infinite in power to do whatsoever he will and not infinite in wisdom to decree whatsoever he will do were to make him a Tyrant not a King but David saith The Lord is King and we do ascribe it to him Tuum est regnum potentia thine is the Kingdom and power for power without equall proportion of wisdom must needs degenerate into cruelty This wisdom foreseeth all things that shall be this wisdom decreeth all things that he will do which his power after in the times appointed doth performe and bring to act Against this Doctrine is Objected Object 1. Why then do so many texts of Scripture tell us that God repenteth Sometimes he repenteth of the good that he hath done for to make man upon the earth was a good work yet it is said And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth Gen. 6 6. and it greived him at his heart So to make Saul King over Israel was a good work for it was his own choise yet himself saith It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be King 1 Sam. 15.11 Sometime God is said to repent of the evil that he hath done malum poenae the evil of punishment is there to be understood So after the great plague when David had made a fault in numbring the people When the Angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it the Lord repented him of the evil 2 Sam. 24.16 and said to the Angel It is enough stay thy hand And concerning his Word we have frequent examples in Scripture of events contrary to the letter of his Word For example His word was to Hezekiah by Isaiah set thy house in order for thou shalt dye non vives Yet Hezekiah did live 15 years after that his word was to Nineveh by Jonah 40 days and Niniveh shall be destroyed yet yet it fel not out so and the story saith God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do to them Joh. 3.10 To all we answer Sol. 1. That the Will of God that is his counsell decreeing what he will do is constantly the same and unchangeable as we have taught 2. Where it is in Scripture charged upon God that he doth repent we say with Chrysost it is verbum parvitati nostrae accommodatum a word accommodated to our weaknesse Hom. 22. in Gen. For we are said to repent when we change our mindes now the God of wisdom and power never changeth his minde but sometimes he doth change his operations there is not mutatio mentis but mutatio dextrae Exclesi as St. Aug. Paenitudo dei est mutandorum immutabilis ratio by which he without changing of his own decree maketh alterations in the disposition of things mutable This for want of understanding in us to comprehend the ways of God is called repentance and greif in God but as Aug. saith Non est perturbatio sed judicium quo irrogatur poena as Saint Paul I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh 3. I approve that received distinction of the Will of God 1. Voluntas signi of the Signe 2. Voluntas beneplaciti of his good Pleasure 1. God doth reveal his ways to the sons of men and sheweth them what he would have them do and openeth to them the knowledge and tendereth to them the use of fit means to performe that which he would have them and so it is said he would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of his Truth According to this revealed Will of God he doth offer mercy to all and he doth withall threaten judgment to such as forsake their own mercy as Jonah saith And when he seeth cause to call in either his mercy from them
is of fear Sol. To this I answer let not us dispute the Will of God or search beyond that which is revealed if God have revealed his Will to us that must be our guide That revealed will hath threatned nothing in us but sin and sin carrieth two rods about it shame and feare There be two things in a regenerate Elect man 1. A Conscience of his sin 2. Faith in the promises of God through Christ So long as we do live we do carry about us Corpus peccati the body of sin and as that doth shake and weaken faith so doth it confirme and strengthen fear 1. We are taught from hence to believe the Word of God Vse 1 the Apostle saith He is faithful that hath promised The faithful servants of God have this promise I will not leave thee nor forsake thee David believes him in convalle umbr aemortis non timebo in the valley of the shadow of death I will not fear Job believes him Though he kill me I will trust in him David believes verily when he smarts I shall see the goodnesse of God in the land of the living It is a sweet content of the inward man when the conscience pleads not guilty to the love of sin though our infirmities miscarry us often that we may say with Nehemiah Remember me O Lord concerning this and blot not out the loving kindnesse that I shewed to thy house and to the officers thereof Neh. 13.14 and with Ezekiah Remember Lord now I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth Is 38.3 and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight But it followeth And Hezekiah wept sore If he were so good a man why did he weep if not so good why did he boast Surely we carry all our good amongst a multitude of infirmities and therefore we cannot rejoyce in our own integrity with a perfect and full joy yet is it a sweet repose to the heart when God giveth us peace of conscience from the dominion of sin So on the other side believe God threatning impenitent sinners with his judgments for he is wise to see the sins of the ungodly he is holy to hate them he is just to judge them and he is Omnipotent to punish them Let me give one instance The third Commandment in the first Table of the law saith Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain what needs any more 1. Put these two one against another Thou The Lord thy God 2. Consider what the law concerns Gods name wherein standeth His glory Our help 3. What is forbidden taking it in vaine and we pray Sanctificetur let it be hallowed But where all this will not serve yet this is murus ahenus a brazen wall one would think God doth make yet another fence about his name an hedge of thornes The Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine The Lawes of God be unreversible decrees heaven and earth shall passe ere one of these words shall sink or lose strength Yet the blasphemer feareth nothing that is a crying sinne in this land not the houses only the streets and high wayes resound the dishonour of Gods name this sin is grown incorrigible The Land mourneth because of oaths Hoc dicunt omnes ante Alpha Beta puellae And beleeve God who cannot lye He will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vain Thus we may make use of this doctrine to restraine if not overcome and to destroy the dominion if not the being of sinne in us 2. For the better rectifying of our judgments and reformation of our lives Vse 2 let us observe the consonancy of Gods practice in the world with the truth of his word he hath declared himself an hater of evill and do we not see daily examples of his judgements upon wicked men how ill they prosper in their estates what shame and disgrace and losse of all that they have unrighteously gotten cometh upon them how their posterity smarteth according to that threatning in the second Commandment God bringing the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and visiting it to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him that we may say Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Whence cometh all this but from the constant truth of Gods unreversible decrees because the word is gone out of his mouth and though the ungodly do not beleeve it though it be told them Verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth in the earth We may say of our times as Hecuba did of hers Non unquam tulit documenta fo rs majora quà m fragili loco starent superbi for We live in the schoole of discipline and the rod of correction is not only shewed but used with a strong hand that all men may fear to be unrighteous we have not only Vigorem verborum the vigor of words chiding sin in our ministry of the word but rigorem verberum the rigor of stripes in the administration of justice never did any age bring both fuller examples of terror then we have heard with our ears and seen with our eyes for the wisdome of Gods decrees and the word of Gods truth is justified in our sight therefore seeing sentence executed upon evil works let the hearts of the sons of men be wholly set in them to do evil 3. Let us consider the vaine confidence of the ungodly Vse 3 and compare it with the constant truth of the decrees and word of God Isay expresseth it fully Ye have said we have made a Covenant with death Isa 28.15 and with hell are we at agreement when the over-flowing scourge shall passe through it shall not come to us for we have made lyes our refuge and under falsehood have we hid our selves They are answered and confounded The bed is shorter then a man can stretch himself on it Vers 20. and the covering narrower then he can wrap himself in it He that is to lodge so uneasily cannot say I will lay me downe in peace and take my rest The Chaldeans invade the Church they kill and take possession and divide the prey they oppose better and more righteous men then themselves their trust is in their strength and riches and power Nec leves metuunt Deos. What care they who weeps so they laugh or who bleeds so they sleep in a whole skin who dies so they live They trust in lying vanities Solomon saith Eccl. 8.12 Though a sinner do evill an hundred times and his dayes his prolonged yet surely I know it shall be well with them that feare God Vers 13. which feare before him But it shall not be well with the wicked neither shall he prolong his dayes which are a shadow because he feareth not before God God hath made an Act against them their judgment is sealed they
the rod of the Spanish inquisition long subject to the sugillations of the Jesuits their mortall enemies But now the sword of massacre is drawn against them before there were some attempts made upon the persons of some few of the Religion or some encroachment made upon their goods They thought it gain to lose all for Christ so that they might win him and be found in him but now the poor distressed Church heareth the voyce of the daughter of Babel crying out against her Nudate Nudate First discerning them and then but who can tell what then the true Church lying at the mercy of Rome shall find her mercies cruel We cannot but take notice of it that the Church of Rome is both a strong and a bloody enemy she is not yet stupannated nor past teeming she aboundeth in continuall sucerescence of new seed Cardinal Bellarm. under the name of Tertus doth wonder why our King should fear the cruell dominion of the Pope under whom all his Tributaries do so well And the humble Supplicants to his Majesty for the liberty of conscience as they call it and for Toleration of the Romish Religion have urged the peaceable state of our neighbours in France where the Papist and Protestant do both exercise their Religion in Peace We now see they feele and smart for it that there can be no peace with Jezebel of Rome 2 Reg. 9.22 so long as her whoredomes and her witchcrafts are so many She lieth lurking in the secret places to murther the innocent her patience is limited with no other bounds but Donec adsint vires till they have strength Nuni proximus ardet Vcalegon They have declared themselves here what they would have done Our comfort is in this Vision and we must tarry and wait the Lords leasure Haman the Jesuit hath got a decree against the Reformed Church in France to root it out and the sword is now drawn against them the Protestants in Bohemia have felt the edge of the Romish sword she that cals her selfe mother of the Christians ostendit ubera verbera producit she pretendeth love Savus amor docuit natorum sanguine matrem commaculare manus And the Church makes pitiful moan saying Shall they therefore empty their not and not spare continually to stay the nations Hab. 1.17 But we know that God is good to Israel to such as be true of heart God hath a sword too and he is whetting of it he hath a quiver and it is full of arrows he is bending of his bowe and preparing his instruments of death and he hath a right hand and that shall find out all his enemies How shall we wear out the weary houres of time till God come and have mercy upon Sion we have many ways to deceive the time 1. The idle think the time long whilst we have therefore time let us do good we have work enough to work out our salvation with feare and trembling to make our Calling and Election sure ro seek the Lord whilst he may be found to wash us and make us clean to put away the evil of our works to cease to do evil to learn to do well to get and keep faith and a good conscience to walk with our God They that well consider what they have to do borrow time from their natural rest from their meats from their recreations to bestow it on the service of God There be that overcharge themselves with the businesses of the world with the care of gathering riches with ambitious thoughts of rising higher with wanton desires of the flesh with sensual surfeits in gluttony and drunkennesse and the day is not long enough for these children of this world to whom I say with the shepheard Quin tu aliquid saltem potius quorum indiget usus Virg Alexis Are these the things you look upon non relinquetur lapis super lapidem There shal not be left a stone upon a stone Walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time because the days are evill Remember your Creation to good works that you should walk in them and whilst you have the light walk in the light Ambulate in luce Ambulate digni luce 2. To sweeten the delay of the vision and to shorten the time of our expectation let us heare our Saviour saying Search the Scriptures There 1. We shall find the promises of God made to his Church in all ages thereof beginning in Paradise at semen mulieris the seed of the woman and so continuing to the fall of the great strumpet the ruine of Babylon in the Revelation wherein we shall find God to be yesterday and to day and the same for ever 2. We shall read the examples of Gods mercy to his Church and judgement of the enemies there of all the Bible through It is a work for the Sabbath as appeareth in the proper Psalm for the day To praise God for this Psal 92. to sing unto the name of the most high The Church professeth itâ—â—◠〈…〉 Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work Vers 4. I will triumph in the works of thy hands The works of God are these When the wicked spring as grasse and when all the workers of wickednesse do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever For lo thine enemies O Lord for do thine enemies shall perish all the workers of iniquity shall be scartered But my horne shall be exalted like the horne of an Vnicorn I shall be annointed with fresh oyl Mine eye shall see my desire upon mine enemies mine eares shall heare my desire of the wicked that rise up against me The righteous shall flourish like a palme-tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall bring forth more fruit in their age they shall be fat and flourishing The use of all To shew that the Lord is upright he is my rock and there is no unrighteousuesse in him These be meditations of a Sabbath of rest and the word of God giveth full examples of this truth and daily experience in our own times offereth it 3. The Scripture doth put into our mouths Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs teaching us to sing and to make melody to God in our hearts Excellent to this purpose are the Psalms of the Bible and if we sing merrily to the God of our salvation this will passe away the time of our waiting for the promise of God cheerfully we shall not think it long For this did David desire to live Oh let me live and I wil praise thy name 4. The Scripture is full of heavenly consolations to establish the heart that it shall not sinke under the burthen of this expectation for in the Scriptures the Spirit of God speaketh Let him that hath ears to hear hear what the Spirit speaks to the Churches this Spirit Christ hath left in his Church
preserve him Had David received two such mortal wounds in the body of his Religion and fear of God if he had kept on his righteousnesse Vrias wife was not more naked These be Sathans advantages for keeping watch as he doth no sooner are we disarmed but fulmina mittit But as Elibu told Job If there be a messenger with him an interpreter Job 33.23 one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightnesse Then he is gracious unto him and saith Vers 24. Deliver him from going down into the pit I have found a ransome That is then the use of our Ministery to be as Noah was to the world praecones justitiae Preachers of righteousnesse to shew men which way they shall walk uprightly he that is sit for this service must have the warrant of a Minister A Messenger and he must have the learning of an Interpreter and such a man is a rate man one of a thousand and his lecture is Discite justitiam moniti Lose no time from it for only righteousnesse hath the blessing of this promise justus ex fide vivit the just doth live by his faith see what rate you will set upon life so much it concerneth you to be righteous 2. Faith when the Apostle doth come to this point concerning Faith he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Above all things take the sheild of Faith Eph. 6 19. As Solomon saith keep thy heart above all keepings for indeed there is no Doctrine so necessary to salvation as the Doctrine of Faith You remember in the Acts of the Apostles when St. Paul came to Ephesus and continued there three moneths Act. 19.8 both disputing and perswading the things that concerne the Kingdom of God but after many oppositions Vers 10. yet he abode there two years His preaching had so put the gods of the Heathen out of countenance and had so advanced the glory of the true God that Demetrius a silversmith which made silver shrines for Diana called the workmen of his trade together and said Sirs Vers 25. ye know that by this craft we have our wealth and So that our craft is in danger to be set at naught Vers 27. And presently upon it there was a great cry Magna Diana great is Diana Beloved look well about you and you shall see that by faith we have our welfare we get our being by it both here and in heaven therefore let us joyn in the cry to cry up Faith Magna est fidei Christianorum great is the faith of Christians 1. Great is the good that it is 2. Great is the good that it does 1. In that it is Faith is a certain perswasion wrought in the heart of man of the truth of all Gods promises and a confident application of them is made to the beleiver both which are wrought in the beleiver by the Spirit of God 1. So it is great in respect of the Author of it in us for it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 growing of it self This is a seed which the Lord hath sowen a plant which Gods own right hand hath planted for Faith is the gift of God 2. Great is the Object for it aimeth at the promises of God which are Yea and Amen 3. Great in the Extent for it spreadeth to all the promises of God and all the benefits that do arise to us from him as Wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification Redemption Salvation 4. Great in the Operation because it layeth hand upon all those and chalengeth a right to them saying Haec measunt these are mine 5. We may adde also this to the excellency of Faith that it is a mother grace the root of all other graces for from Faith they do derive themselves 1. Repentance Act. 15.9 For by Faith God purifieth the heart 2. Love For Faith worketh by love 3. Fear that feare which is the beginning of Wisdome for if we did not beleive the truth of Gods Word and Promises and comminations we would not so much stand in awe of God or fear and distrust our selves 4. Obedience for knowing that we have no subsistence in the favour of God but by Christ that swayeth all our observance that way and biddeth us hear him And without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 2. For that it doth it is great 1. No grace of God in us doth more honour to God then our Faith doth for none but the beleever doth confesse God aright for as the Apostle saith He that beleeveth not God hath made God a lyar 1 Joh. 5.10 make that breach in the holy chain or knot of Gods attributes and all fail for truth is the girdle of them all so make him a lyar and make him unwise impotent cruel profane all evil Abraham strengthened in the Faith gave glory to God 2. No grace to us more profitable Rom. 4.10 for it is not said of any of all the other vertues graces that we do live by any by all of them but only by faith because faith doth unite us with Christ in whom we are knit to God for all fulnesse dwelleth in him and of his fulnesse we receive grace and grace Ioh. 1.16 And by faith only Christ dwelleth in our hearts Eph 3.17 By faith we are reconciled to God in Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God by faith we are justified Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law Vers 28. By faith we are sanctified Acts 15.9 Eph. 2.8 For God doth purifie our hearts by faith By faith we are saved for by grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Faith bringeth peace of conscience in the assurance of all this Rom. 5.1 For being justified by faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ By faith we have accesse to God into the grace wherein we stand Vers 2. and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God By faith we glory in tribulations Vers 3. knowing that tribulation worketh patience patience experience experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given us And thus the Church of the Jews is comforted against the oppressions of the Chaldaeans by faith Lastly faith is commended to us for a shield Eph 6.16 by which we defend our selves against the fiery darts of Satan Therefore to make the necessary doctrine of faith profitable for us let us consider 1. How faith may be gotten 2. How it may be proved 3. How it may be preserved 4. How it may be used 1. How faith may be gotten Herein we must needs observe two things 1. The Author 2. The Means 1.
of our duty permitte Deo Caetera leave the rest to God Faith now doth all that remains to be done By Faith Isaak blessed Jacob Heb. 11.20 21. and Esau concerning things to come By Faith Jacob when hee was dying blessed both the sonnes of Joseph 2. In adversity Thus it serveth to furnish us with 1. Patience 2. Hope 1. With Patience to bear the present distresse without murmuring at God David is a notable and a full example of this Faith I shall shew you him in distresse For when the Amalekites had burnt Ziklag 1 Sam. 30. and had carried away captives all the people therein and amongst them Davids two wives Abinoam and Abigael David was greatly distrest so were all the people They lift up their voice and wept untill they had no more power to weep David beside this sorrow of his losse and compassion of the losse of his people c. Feared For the people speak of stoning him because the souls of all the people were greived every man for his sons and his daughters No remedy against all this sorrow but Faith 1 Sam. 32.6 But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God 2 Chor. 20. The like example of Jehoshaphat When some came and told the King of an army coming against him to invade him instead of mustering his men surveying his armour sending out for oxciliaries to resist this armie Or instead of sending a messenger to treat of peace to divert the enemy and to prevent war Jehoshaphat lets the enemy come on Vers 3. Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Juda he goes to Church and prayes O our God wilt thou not judge them for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us Vers 12. neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee In the very distresse to which this remedy is applied God hath threatned the Jews with an invasion by the Chaldeans he hath declared the enemy insolent and violent what shall the Jews do in the misery Observe God takes no care of the wicked let him sin let the Chaldeans do his worst to him but The just man shall live by his Faith For he shall possesse his soul in patience Beloved we hear of distresses abroad if we do but crosse the water the sword is drawen against the professours of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they that have armes put them on to save their lives and stand upon their guard The bloody Iesuits cry to the French King of our Religion Rase it Rase it We know not how God may visit us hereafter when the light of Israel shall be quenched although there go over neitheir men nor mony to relieve the distresses of our own mothers children filios ecclesiae children of the Church such consultations are far above us yet let us pray for them to God that God would give them Faith to depend upon him and the just amongst them shall live by that Faith There is an example nearer kinne to this land the daughter of great Britaine and her root and branches for whom many a loyall heart in this Kingdom aketh in whose quarrel the honourable house of Parliament have in the name of the Commons offered to unlock all the treasures to put on armes and to adventure the lives of all faithful Patriots in the just cause of restoring them to their rightful inheritance and all such honours as their just claime shall challenge In their distresse I know no other comfort but my Text. The just shall live by Faith In a word where these three great and crying sins do raigne which in this Prophecy are threatned That is corruption of conversation when there is no honesty nor truth left amongst men but that every man studyeth the building of his own house he cares not where he hath the brick and the morter Corruption of Religion that schisme and heresie do carrie it from peace and truth Corruption of justice that honours places of service in the Common wealth and justice it self are sold for mony good men punished evil men rewarded Comfort Justus ex fide sua vivet the just shall live by his Faith 2. Faith furnisheth us with Hope That also 1. In Prosperity 2. In Adversity We have hope through Faith that God will continue his loving kindnâ—sse to us and not take away from us the light of his countenance So David Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life Psal 23.6 and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Observe in Davids hope two things 1. The ground of it Faith in Gods protection for that is the part of the whole Psalme The Lord is my shepheard he shall feed me he restoreth my soul In the valley of the shadow of death thou art with me Thou preparest my table thou anoyntest my head with oyle my cup runneth over 2. The means by him used to continue the assurance thereof even by dwelling in the house of God continually that is by consecrating his whole life to Gods service and worship 2. In adversities We have hope that either God will strengthen us to bear it or give issue out of it This is grounded upon that promise of God to his Church I will not leave thee nor forsake thee And if we hope for that we see not Rom. 8.25 we do with patience waite for it There is no such comfort in the sorrows and distresses of life as reading the holy Scriptures for the support of our hope For They are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15.4 This hope keeps the heart from breaking for building upon the truth of God it cannot be shaken 2. How Faith must be used in the Spirituall life 1. For this the Apostle doth call it the sheild of Faith and it serveth for defence against the fiery darts of Sathan to keep off the evil that is yet without us either in temptation or provocation 2. It serveth also to purify our hearts from that evil which we do bear about us in the infection thereof 3. It serveth for a provocation to stirre us up to resist the power of the enemy 1 Pet. 5.8 For so Saint Peter saith Though Sathan go about like a roaring lyon seeking whom he may devour Whom resist stedfast in the faith Vers 9. 4. It serveth for victory This is the victory by which we overcome the world even our Faith 5. Many that returne out of the field victorious yet may bring home some dangerous wound that they have received in the battaile and there is another good use of Faith to cure and heal all the wounds For our Faith maketh us whole 6. It serveth for the effectuating the means 1. Hearing 2. Sacraments 3. Prayer 3. For our eternall life Faith is profitable unto all things which hath the Promise of
not wrought enough upon the Romanists who are guilty of grosse idolatry so on the other side it hath wrought too much upon some zealous Professors who fearing superstition and idolatry dare scarce shew any external reverence to God himself either when they come into Gods house or when they come to Gods Table Yet the Angel that would not be worshipped said Worship thou God and that is all the Church exacteth not an inward Worship only but an outward also commanded in the second Commandment Vers 20. But the Lord is in his holy Temple let all the earth keep silence before him The Temple of Gods holinesse is understood here as you have heard two ways 1. For the Temple at Jerusalem 2. For heaven In both let all tremble before him This is the second part of the Antithesis True Religion containing two parts 1. Where God is 2. What duty is owing to him 2. He is in his Temple at Jerusalem Vbi est and in all other Temples dedicate to his service For the Temple at Jerusalem he appointed the making of it and chose the man to whose care he committed the trust of the work David might not do it but Solomon was the man When it was finished and Solomon had assembled the People to the consecration of it and prayed there God answered the Prayer of Solomon with a visible expressure of his Presence for a cloud filled the house it was filled with the Glory of God But some of our Sectaries say there is no need of Churches for Gods publick service there is neither precept nor example in Scripture for it but the words of Christ to the woman of Samaria leave it at large The houre cometh and now is John 4.23 when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth Saint Augustine calleth this heresie in the Massilians that they denied the use of Temples because Christ foretold that the use of the Temple at Jerusalem should cease which was a shadow of things to come In the Old Testament beside the Cathedral and Mother-Church the People had their Synagogues for their meetings to Gods service which continued even to and in Christs time Christ himself designed a place for that meeting wherin he celebrated the last Passeover and instituted the Sacrament of his Supper The Disciples had a place of meeting wherein Christ twice found them the first day of the week The persecutions of those times gave no sodain liberty to settle a Church and to erect Temples nor that I can read for the first 200 years after Christ were any Temples built Yet before the persecutions ceased they had erected Oratories for their meeting to Prayer and hearing of the Word for in the tenth Persecution under Dioclesian Euseb 8.2 An. Reg. 19. Mense Martio he made an Edict for the pulling down of the Temples of the Christians But under Constantine when Christian religion had the favour of Authority regal then Concurrebant populi ad populos quasi os ad os Ecclesiae quae antea impiis tyrannorum machinis destructae fuerant redivivae c. Then the People came together Eus 10.2 And ever since the Church hath continued this practise of maintaing Oratories for the meeting of the Congregations for the praise and service of God There is warrant enough from the example of the Church and the Authority thereof to maintain this holy practice Those places be the Temples of Gods holinesse the houses of God separate from all common use to the holy service of God And God who by his Omnipotency filleth all places is in our Churches by a more special presence for if the Glory of God filled the Temple in the time of the Law why may we not believe that in the light of the Gospel he reveileth his Presence more because the place wherein we serve God is Gods house and all Civil and common use of it is resigned to consecrate it to Gods service If God be present where two or three are assembled surely where there is a meeting of a full Congregation he is present with a special presence And therefore it hath ever been esteemed a pious charity in those that have been founders enlargers restorers or adorners of Churches as Saint Origen saith quam gloriosum est si dicatur in Tabernaculo domini Illius fuit hoc aurum hoc argentum In ex 25. Hom. 13. c Rursus quam indecorum ut dominus veniens nihil muneris tui inveniat in eo nihil a te cognoscat oblatum Ego optarem si fieri posset esse aliquid meum in auro quo arca contegitur Nollem esse infoecundus c. These houses of God are the temples of his holinesse where the name of God is declared to the Church wherein God by his Spirit speaketh to the Churches in the outward ministry of the word where the holy ones of God do speak to God by the same Spirit in prayers in hymnes and spiritual songs where the sacrifices of righteousnesse are offered And herein is that gracious Prophecy of Isay fulfilled which our Saviour alleadgeth in the Gospel For mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people Observe Isa 56 7. here is not only oratio prayer which is cultus divinus divine worship but here is Domus mea my house a place designed for the worship of God and that for all people This cannot be made good in the temple of Jerusalem nor in any one Church but must determine both the extent and dilatation of Gods worship and the designation of fit houses for the same Another like Prophecy we have before in Isay It shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountains of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains Isa 2.2 and shall be exalted above the hils and all nations shall flow unto it And many people shall go and say come ye and let us go up to the top of the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths for out of Sion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem The common exposition is that after the returne of the people of Israel from the 70 years captivity in Babylon then Religion and Gods Worship shall be setled at Ierusalem But observe how this exposition shriveleth up the promise of grace for this is not all He saith this shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the last time and he addeth that all nations shall flow to it and he saith not that one mountain but The mountains of the Lord shall be established which must needs be understood of the Churches of the Christians to which the faithful should resort For further proof hereof read Micha 4. where you shall find this Prophecy totidem verbis Vers 1.2 in so many words and a commentary upon it Micah 5.
And the Ministers of the Gospel do speak even as if Christ himself spake in us 2 Cor. 5.10 we speak in Christs stead But as in the time of the Law God sent his Prophets sometimes to such as would not give them the hearing so doth he now in the time of the Gospel but that must not discourage our Ministry at their peril be it Gods Word will ever be Gods wisdom though the prophane count it foolishness and it will be Gods truth though heresie and schisme pick quarrels Therefore if you would learn to pray and be prepared for that holy worship hear Gods speech first and that will teach you what to ask as you ou ought Hear the word from us as the Thessalonians did 1 Thes 2.13 When ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe 2 Here is metus I was afraid the Seventy read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was in an extasie as St. John saith when he saw the vision of the Son of man Rev. 1.17 I fell at his feet as dead There were two things to strike the Prophet vvith astonishment 1 The Majestie of the Speaker 2 The matter of the speech And both these must both meet in our understandings and in our affections to enlighten and to move them that vve may know what vve have to do and vvith vvhom vvhen vve pray that vve may come before him vvith fear and holy reverence 1 The great glory and Majesty of God to vvhom vve resort in prayer is such as no creature can endure the sight thereof The Angels standing before him Isa 6.2 cover their faces with their wings 2 The matter of his speech conteined in his vvord to the Prophet is the summe of the Bible Justice punishing sin in his Church Vengeance destroying the enemies of his Church and Grace redeeming his Church from the povver of Satan by the glorious Kingdom of Jesus Christ Quae. Why should the Prophet be afraid at this here vvas matter of comfort the heaviness of the night is promised the joy of the morning The Church though it must suffer for a time for sin hath here a promise of tvvo main consolations 1 Their ovvn deliverance from dangers into a restitution of them into Gods favour 2 Their eye shall have their desire also upon their enemies they shall see the vvheel of vvrath go over them and the Lord shall let out of their throats the bloud of his people vvith vvhich they have made themselves drunk all this is matter of joy and vvhat needeth this fear Sol. Who can come without fear before him that can and will do all this for if he be angry yea but a little they are blessed that trust in him fear is a proper passion of a true believer and is inseparably joyned with saving faith For seeing the bond of our union with Christ by faith whereby he dwelleth in us is Partly the hold that he hath of us by his Spirit Partly the hold that we have of him by faith The first is firme Joh. 10.27 There shall not any one pluck them out of my hand he giveth a strong reason for it for my Father who gave them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my Fathers hand we are his gifts and his gifts and calling are without repentance But the flesh doth put the Spirit to it so hard some times even in the elect of God that the hold on our part is weak which breedeth fear and that fear makes us hold so much the faster From hence it comes that all the intelligence between God and man doth begin at fear in us This is not the fear of an evill conscience as it was in Adam when he hid himself from God but the fear of reverence of God and the good conscience of our unworthinesse being fallen from our originall righteousnesse The Shepheards that were keeping watch by night because of their flocks were sore afraid when they saw the light shining at that time of night that the Angel began with Nolite timere fear not yet were they in the lawfull businesse of their calling The blessed Virgin no doubt wel and holily employed Zecharie the Priest in the Church about the occasions of his office yet all afraid This is the seasoning and preparing of the heart for God to be cast down before him it is humbling our selves under the mighty hand of God and we cannot pray as we ought without it When the Apostle saith we cannot pray as we ought and that the spirit helpeth our infirmities he sheweth that such as he have infirmities and they feel them when they come to appear before God and where infirmities are there must needs be fear if they that have them be sensible of them Yea I dare say that they that come to prayer without fear come without faith and all their prayers are turned into sin Ob. We read of comming with boldnesse to God Because we have an high Priest which is touched with the feeling of our infirmities Heb. 4.15 16. in all points tempted like as wee are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that wee may obtein mercy and finde grace to help in time of need Sol. this is cleered by the same Authour in the same Epistle declaring how many considerations must concurre as ingrediences in this our spirituall boldness 1 Let us draw neer with a true heart Heb. 10.22 2 In full assurance of Faith 3 Having our hearts sprinkled from an evill Consciences 4 Our bodies washed with pure water 5 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering 6 Let us consider one another to provoke to love and good works 7 Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together c. 8 Exhorting one another Let a man before he pray try his vvayes and examine his soul upon those interrogatories and I dare say the best of us if we sin not also in presumption vvill finde himself short in every one of these perticulars of that perfection that should accomplish boldnesse But having those things in some measure and more in desire and endeavour our boldness must needs be as much shaken with fear as these graces in us are shaken with infirmity And upon this fear our Church teacheth us to pray to God in these words Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid 12 Dom. post Trinit and giving unto us that which our prayers dare not presume to ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. And this some of our brethren have quarrelled as a contradiction in our prayers because we say we pray for tha we dare not pray for To whom I answer in these words of my Text O Lord I heard thy voice
We must do God this right to honour him in his own works Reas 2 because if we be silent and do not our duty herein yet David saith Ps 145.10 All thy works shall praise thee O Lord. 3 We see the enemies of God do not spare to do all they can to rob God of his glory Reas 3 and as one saith Vigilat bostis tu dormis the enemy waketh and dost thou sleep Some gave out amongst the Egyptians that this passage over the sea on dry land was onely an advantage taken by Moses of a great ebbe occasioned by an extraordinary wind which comming of the land at the head of the bay made all the head of the bay dry land for many miles together but the text is against that for it sheweth how the waters were a wall unto them on both hands Again the waters were divided by an East vvind but that vvind blows not from that shore but rather it should have been a Northerly vvind others imputed this to Moses as done by magicall arts vvhich if it had been so no doubt but there vvere vvith Pharcah of his Magitians that could in the learning of the Egyptians have vvrought vvith Moses hand to hand And surely that is the reason that there is so often mention of this vvonder in Scripture to stirre up all faithfull people to vindicate the honour of God against the depravers thereof This admonisheth us both to the hearing and reading the story of the Bible Vse 2 that we may understand what the Lord hath done in former ages Gen. 18.19 God himself made Abraham so much of his counsail for that because he knew that Abraham would teach his children And for that the Sacrament of the Passeover was instituted Ex. 12.26 for that it might teach their children after them For this were the twelve stones set up in Gilgall Josh 4.21 to teach the story of the passage over Jordan and in the New Testament the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was instituted in remembrance of Christ till his coming so many as would learn matter enough to fill their mouthes with the praise of God let them open the two Testaments and read therein let them hear and study that holy story there is enough in it to make a man wise to salvation For this is your wisedom and understanding to know the Lord and to serve him and to honour him for For him that honoureth me I will honour saith our God 2 This reproveth those that swallow the gratious favours Vse 2 of God without any relish or tast of them neither consider the former mercies of God nor his present blessings that live like bruit beasts saying this day is like yesterday and to morrow will be like this day and more abundant and such sensuall and carnal sons of nature there are that reap benefits where they never sowed prayers and gather mercies where they never scattered supplications 3 This chideth the Euchites of our time Vse 3 that are all for prayer and they never give God rest from petitious but like the nine Leapers when they are healed they never return any thanks I have ever commended to you the use of prayer it is a speciall part of Gods worship and God loves both frequent and importunate petitions but if we part praise from it and do not joyn thanksgiving with supplication we have the profit but God hath not the honour of his own favours All our care must not be who will shew us any good we must also offer to him the sacrifices of righteousness as well as call upon the name of the Lord for quid recipiam we must have quod retribuam Seeing God must have the glory of his own great works Vse 4 we must take the pains to search after them not onely content our selves with such as offer themselves to our consideration but we must take delight to look them out so David The works of the Lord are great Psa 111.2 sought out of all them that have pleasure therein His work is honorable and glorious and his righteousness endureth for ever He hath made his wonderfull works to be remembred Which shews that our praising of the name of God is no meritorious act of free-will but an officious service due to him and it is a great injustice in you to deny it to him for David saith He is worthy to be praised This serveth for caution Vse 5 It is a glory to God vvhen vve thankfully remember vvith praise the vvonderfull vvorks that he hath done but it is no honour to him at all vvhen vve report of him more then he hath done and put miracles upon him that he never did The Church of Rome hath long had a busie hand in these false ascriptions the golden legend of vvorm-eaten authority amongst them and their Speculum exemplorum set forth by John Major a Jesuite in Anno 1607 and Cantipatranus a Domican Friers full Volume of miracles set forth Anno 1605. tell fine tails ridiculous even to children yet the implicite faith of Papists doth svvallovv all for canonicall vvherein God is dishonored vvith humane inventions and truth it self vvith lies their legends of their Ladies of Loretto and Hales are of the same coynage and it is the policy of that Strumpet of Rome to keep this mint alvvays at vvork to amaze the ignorant vvith strange vvonders But I say unto them in the vvords of Iob Job 13.7 Will ye speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him Gregory their own Pope upon these words saith Veritas fulciri non quaerit auxilio falsitatis he saith that it is the trick of hereticks It is I am sure the practise of Papists but thou man of God fly these things truth is not honored but vvith truth 2 We must search out and confesse the true cause of all the good that God doth to us Doct. 2 It is Aristotles Doctrine in his Elenches that Elene 1.4 id quod non est causa ut causam ponere to make that a cause which is not is a capatious and sophistical manner of reasoning So the Serpent over-reach't Eve in Paradise for when God had given our Parents there a precise Law Thou shalt not eat of the tree in the midst of the Garden The true cause why God put that restraint upon them vvas to try their obedience to him in a small and easie precept forbidding them a thing in it self good to shew his reservation of his own power to awe them So saith Moâ— 35.10 Saint Gregory But Satan tempting the woman to break this Law and to cast off this light burthen and easie yoak of God suggested another cause Gen. 3.5 God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eys shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil as if God had dealt too sparingly with man in the communication of his own similitude to him and had set him that bar
word is their warrant his truth their assurance When we behold the same power of God in the change of Ministers of his will Vse vve learn to know vvhatsoever alteration the vicissitude of time maketh on earth yet thou Lord art the same and thy years do not fail Therefore as David saith Put not your trust in Princes nor in any son of man for there is no help in them there is help by them but it is not in them our help is in the name of the Lord who hath made heaven and earth 2 This shevveth the perpetual course of Gods favour to his Church the faithfull servant of God Moses dieth but the spirit that God put upon Moses survived him Eliah Elisha Num. 27.18 and rested upon Joshua he was consecrated to that imployment 1 By Gods own election and designation 2 By the imposition of Moses hands and the devolution of some of his honour upon him 3 By Gods own gift of the same spirit that vvas upon Moses Thus vvhere God loveth a poople the favour of God runeth in a full stream in the Chanel of his Church 3 Seeing this constant truth of God in his gratious promises to to his Church hath reference to our obedience this much teach us to obey and serve our God in all things that his sun may shine upon our Tabernacles and that vve may anoint our paths with butter for as David saith No good thing will he with-hold from them that serve the Lord. Dâ—uâ— 28. He hath shevved his people vvhat they shall trust too blessings and cursings life and death 3 Doctrine This also teacheth us as the Apostle doth The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much James 5.16 He proveth it by the example of Eliah who though he were a man subject to the like passions as we are he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth in three years and six moneths And he prayed again and the heaven gave rain So this example of Joshua praying is a full example of the effectuall power of prayer these examples as that also of Moses praying upon the Mount when Joshuah fought with Amalek do all seeme to prove the force of prayer Exod 17. And great reason there is that this should be effectuall with God 1 Because there is no service that man can perform to God wherein he doth so much part with himself and even lay himself down in prayer for therein he openeth his heart to God and poureth forth his spirit to him and his faith doth bring God to him face to face When men pray as they ought they know God and themselves they know and confesse him the faithfull Creatour the mercifull redeemer the gracious preserver the bounteous rewarder of men And they know themselves to be but men that is indigent and needy having nothing but what they receive from his hand and of his free gift immerent deserving none not the least of his favours Which two considerations do serve to humble us and to honour him We finde in Scripture watching and fasting often joyned with prayer as outward means to tame and subdue the flesh that it may be the lesser able to resist the power of the spirit for the spirit is willing in the servant of God but the flesh is weak 2 There is no part of Gods worship that hath so many precepts to impose it on us as prayer hath in both the Testaments none that we have so many examples of great successe and prevayling with God none that we have so good means to perform as prayer none that hath so many promises made to it in holy Scripture 1 For precepts 1 Precept so soon as God had established him an house for his publique worship he commanded it to be called an house of prayer to all nations Solomon dedicated that house to God by prayer it is Gods own Word seek ye my face it is the Churches answer Thy face O Lord will I seek And Christ our Saviour often in the gospel the Apostles after him enjoyns it 2 For example we have Abraham 2 Example Isaac and Jacob Moses David Solomon Hezekiah Eliah Manasseh Nehemiah Job Samuel Daniel all the Prophets all the holy men Christ his Apostles all with admirable successe 3 For means 3 Means Christ taught us to pray shewed us the way to the Father in his mediation and by his name And the spirit which Christ left in his Church helpeth our infirmities Christ hath comprehended all in a few words 4 Promise Whatsover you shall ask the Father in my name it shall be given you Ask and receive that your joy may be full petite quaerite pulsate These great examples of successe do all seem to stirre us up Vse to the performance of this part of Gods worship both 1 In obedience to the Commandement of God who hath imposed this duty on us whose Commandements are mighty and ought not to be light layed 2 In an holy ambition of the best graces of God vvhich are this way obteined of him 3 In an humble love to our God to whose presence and conference we come by prayer 4 In an holy imitation of those great examples vvhich are so frequent in Gods faithfull ones in the double Testament of God 5 In a thankfull use of the means by God ordeined to facilitate this service that we receive not the grace of God in vain 6 In a confident faith in Gods gratious and free promises vvhich are yea and Amen 7 In an humble sense and feeling of our ovvn vvants and the necessities of our brethren for so vve do exercise both our piety to God and our charity to our selves and our brethren But this discourageth many Ob. we read of great power of prayer of old as that Moses prayer gave Joshua victory Joshuahs prayer made the Sun stand still Eliah by prayer shut up heaven by prayer he opened it Daniel by prayer shut up the mouths of the lions in their den We see no such effects of prayer now and therefore we think prayer is not of such effect now as heretofore To this our answer is Sol. that great and extraordinary examples of the successe of prayer are but thinly scattered in the Book of God to shew the power of Gods Ordinance Neither may that be a rule to us that prayer is not of force as it hath been because we do not see such great effects thereof as have appeared in former times For in the time of the shadow when Christ was seen in type and under a veil there was need of extraordinary examples to confirm faith but to us that live in the cleer light of the gospel to whom Christ is made manifest to be our intercessor this may seem to strengthen faith If God did hear the prayers of his faithful owns and answered them by miracles they had speciall warrant to demand those things at the hands of
case of Nineveh God pleaded with Jonah for the infants But God never forsaketh us till we first forsake him not then if there be but animus revertendi he is patient and long suffering but when we come once to two evils To forsake him the Fountain of living waters and to dig to our selves cisterns of our own making then he can no longer forbear when we grow A sinfull nation a people laden with iniquity Isai 1.4 a seed of evill doers children that are corrupters forsaking the Lord provoking the Holy One of Israel to anger going away backward No wonder If he make our Countrey desolate burn our Cities with fire let strangers devour our land in our presence and lay it desolate as overthrown by strangers Where we are guilty to our selves of provocation Vse 1 of the Lord against us we have cause to lay all the blame upon our selves and to say We have gone away from thee and have not hearkned to thy voice therefore art thou displeased with us Seeing the Justice of God doth set him against us we are also to acquite him of any hard measure towards us and to say just art thou O Lord and just are thy judgments But especially this stirreth us up to divert this wrath to come for to that purpose God giveth warning by threatnings not in judgment to punish and torment us before our time with the fear of them and after in their time with the sense of them but to admonish us to fly from the anger to come for Jeremy was sent on this very message to this people and he threatned them from God as Habakkuk here doth yet with this caution of repentance For Jeremie being required by King Zedekiah to enquire of the Lord concerning Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel If the Lord will deal with us according to all his wonderfull works that hee will go from us Jer. 21.2 Jeremie through the whole Chapter resolveth him that God is purposed to deliver his people and their Land into the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar yet in the next Chapter he bringeth this comfortable message from God to the King Thus Jer. 22.1 saith the Lord go down to the King of Judah and speak there this word And say hear the Word of the Lord O King of Judah that sittest upon the throne of David thou and thy servants and the people that enter in by these gates Thus saith the Lord execute you judgment and righteousnesse and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressour and do no wrong do no violence to the stranger the Fatherlesse nor the Widow neither shedinnocent bloud in this place For if you do this thing indeed then there shall enter in by the gates of this house Kings sitting for David upon his throne riding in Chariots and on horses he and his servants and his people But if ye will not hear these words I swear by my self saith the Lord that this house shall become a desolation c. This declareth that the threatnings of God when he menaceth our sins with judgments are like Jonathans arrows shot rather to give us warning then to hurt us Which admonisheth us that whensoever any fear surprizeth us of wrath to come upon our land either in the corruption of our religion or in the perturbation of our peace or in the fear of falf friends that may kisse and betray or in the dearth and scarcity of the necessaries of life in any in all these fears the change of our ways the repentance of our sins the amendment of our lives will ever make our peace with our God and turn away these threatned and feared evils from us for godlinesse hath the promises both of this life and of that which is to come 2 Let us consider the instruments in this action called his troops The armies of the Chaldaeans Doct. by which Israel is to be punished are the troops of God God owns them as Jeremiah telleth Zedechiah Thus saith the Lord God of Israel Jer. 21.4.5 Behold I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands wherewith ye fight against the King of Babylon and against the Chaldaeans which besiege you without the wals and I will assemble them into the midst of this City And I my self will fight against you with an out-stretched hand and with a strong arm even in anger and in fury and in great wrath So he told them before in this Prophecy I raise up the Chaldaeans a bitter and hasty nation Hab. 1 6. which shall march through the breadth of the land to possesse the dwelling places that are not theirs From whence we have learnt That God ordereth this war against his people which Doctrine we have at large handled in the Prophecy of Obdiah We learnt also that God punisheth one evill nation by another and those whom he employeth in the correction of his enemies he protecteth and prospereth in their wars and he is very carefull to pay them wages as in the service of Egypt against Tyrus which Nebuchadnezzar did Ezek. 29.20 I have given him the Land of Egypt for the service wherewith he served against it because they wrought for me saith the Lord God For God can make use of wicked men to ferve in his troops for the punishing of such as rebell against him Therefore let no man say the Turk is an enemy to God and to Religion he serveth Mahomet he is an infidell and therefore he shall not prevail against us Let no man say the Pope is a man of Sin and a mainteiner of Idolatry an usurper upon the royall prerogatives of Jesus Christ he advanceth himself above all that is called God and is worshipped hee is an incroacher upon the rights and honours and power of Princes and usurpeth a transcendent jurisdiction over them a mainteiner of treason and murther of Kings a Coiner of Articles of Faith an hider of the Word of God a maker of counter-laws against the Law of God therefore neither he nor his religion shall ever prevail against the Professours of the truth of God For if these sins be found in our land which God conditioned again in Judah that is If just judgment be not executed and righteousnesse practised if the spoiled be not delivered from the hand of the oppressour if wrong be done to the stranger the poor the Fatherlesse and the Widow Turk and Pope Papists and Infidels may be gathered together into the troops of God and employed against us and prevail against us for we are no better then Judah nor deerer to God then his own people And if he please to punish Christendome or the professours of his truth by these if once they become Gods troops they shall prosper and carry all before them 2 The misery in the patient the Land of Israel threatned as you hear in the trees Here are named the chief trees for fruit the fig-tree the vine and the olive Non omnis fert omnia